Witness, Loyalty, Charity, Unity

Bishop-elect George R. Sumner writes to the people of the Diocese of Dallas:

I return in my mind to the three goals that were expressed in our recent episcopal search. We want to articulate the traditional teaching on marriage. Here I commend to you the thoughtful letter from our Standing Committee. We do well to think of this witness as actually a gift to the whole church. This is just the perspective of the bishops themselves in their generous mind-of-the-house statement toward the Communion Partners bishops at Convention. I pledge myself to do whatever I can to advocate for this continuing witness in our Church among my future colleagues in the coming years. Secondly, we remain loyal to our church, even as we remind it that the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” (1 Corinthians 12:21). Thirdly we expressed a desire for a spirit of charity and unity. I mean, by God’s grace, to be bishop for the whole diocese, across differences of opinion, in this demanding time. Through all this, we need together to get on with the work of evangelizing and serving God has in mind for us, clinging as we must to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is our only true certainty.